Wing Chun


Wing Chun Kuen, usually called Wing Chun, is a concept-based traditional Southern Chinese Kung fu style and a form of self-defense, that requires quick arm movements and strong legs to defeat opponents. Softness and performance of techniques in a relaxed manner is fundamental to Wing Chun. According to legend, it was created by Ng Mui, an abbess who taught it to her student Yim Wing-chun as a means to defend herself against unwanted advances. The martial art is named after her. According to Ip Man, "Chi Sau in Wing Chun is to maintain one's feeling of opponents movement by staying relaxed all the while keeping in the strength to fight back, much like the flexible nature of bamboo". Notable practitioners of Wing Chun include Yuen Kay Shan, Sum Nung, Ip Man, Ip Chun, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and Chad Pickeral.

Characteristics

Wing Chun favors a relatively high, narrow stance with the elbows close to the body. Within the stance, arms are generally positioned across the vitals of the centerline with hands in a vertical "wu sau". This style positions the practitioner to make readily placed blocks and fast-moving blows to vital striking points down the center of the body; neck, chest, belly and groin. Shifting or turning within a stance is done on the heels, balls, or middle of the foot, depending on lineage. Some Wing Chun styles discourage the use of high kicks because this risks counter-attacks to the groin. The practice of "settling" one's opponent to brace them more effectively against the ground helps one deliver as much force as possible to them.

Relaxation

and performance of techniques in a relaxed manner, and by training the physical, mental, breathing, energy and force in a relaxed manner to develop Chi "soft wholesome force", is fundamental to Wing Chun. On "softness" in Wing Chun, Ip Man during an interview said:
Wing Chun is in some sense a "soft" school of martial arts. However, if one equates that work as weak or without strength, then they are dead wrong. Chi Sau in Wing Chun is to maintain one's flexibility and softness, all the while keeping in the strength to fight back, much like the flexible nature of bamboo".

Forms

Most Common Forms

The most common system of forms in Wing Chun consists of three empty hand forms, two weapon forms, and a wooden dummy form.

Empty hand

See also Glossary of Wing Chun terms
小念頭Siu Nim Tau The first and most important form in Wing Chun, Siu Nim Tau, is to be practiced throughout the practitioner's lifetime. It is the foundation or "seed" of the art, on which all succeeding forms and techniques depend. Fundamental rules of balance and body structure are developed here. Using a car analogy; for some branches this would provide the chassis, for others this is the engine. It serves as the basic alphabet of the system. Some branches view the symmetrical stance as the fundamental fighting stance; others see it as a training stance used in developing technique.
尋橋Chum Kiu The second form, Chum Kiu, focuses on coordinated movement of bodymass and entry techniques to "bridge the gap" between practitioner and opponent, and move in to disrupt their structure and balance. Close-range attacks using the elbows and knees are also developed here. It also teaches methods of recovering position and centerline when in a compromised position where Siu Nim Tau structure has been lost. For some branches, bodyweight in striking is a central theme, either from pivoting or stepping. Likewise for some branches, this form provides the engine to the car. For branches that use the "sinking bridge" interpretation, the form takes on more emphasis of an "uprooting" context, adding multi-dimensional movement and spiraling to the already developed engine.
標指Biu Ji The third form, and the last form Biu Ji, is composed of extreme short-range and extreme long-range techniques, low kicks and sweeps, and "emergency techniques" to counter-attack when structure and centerline have been seriously compromised, such as when the practitioner is seriously injured. As well as pivoting and stepping developed in Chum Kiu, a third degree of freedom involves more upper body and stretching is developed for more power. Such movements include close-range elbow strikes and finger thrusts to the throat. For some branches this is the turbo-charger of the car; for others it can be seen as a "pit stop" kit that should never come into play, recovering your "engine" when it has been lost. Still other branches view this form as imparting deadly "killing" and maiming techniques that should never be used without good reason. A common Wing Chun saying is "Biu Ji doesn't go out the door". Some interpret this to mean the form should be kept secret; others interpret it as meaning it should never be used if you can help it.

Weapons

八斬刀Baat Jaam Dou, also known as Yee Jee Seung Do.A form involving a pair of large "Butterfly Knives", slightly smaller than short swords, as their blade is usually between 11-15 inches. Historically the knives were also referred to as Dit Ming Do. The Baat Jaam Do form and training methods teach advanced footwork, and develop additional power and strength in both stance and technique. The Baat Jaam Do also help to cultivate a fighting spirit, as the techniques are designed to slaughter the enemy.s
六點半棍Luk Dim Bun Gwan "Long Pole"— a tapered wooden pole ranging anywhere from 8 to 13 feet in length. Also referred to as "Dragon Pole" by some branches. For some branches that use "Six and A Half Point Pole", their 7 principles of Luk Dim Boon Gwun are used throughout the unarmed combat as well. The name six and a half point pole comes from these 7 principles, with the last principle: Lau, or Flowing counting as half a point.

Wooden Dummy

Other Forms

Empty Hand

Both the Wai Yan and Nguyễn Tế-Công branches use different curricula of empty hand forms. The Tam Yeung and Fung Sang lineages both trace their origins to Leung Jan's retirement to his native village of Gu Lao, where he taught a curriculum of San Sik.
The Siu Lim Tau of Wing Chun is one long form that includes movements that are comparative to a combination of Siu Lim Tau, Chum Kiu, and Biu Ji of other families. The other major forms of the style are: Jeui Da, Fa Kyun, Jin Jeung, Jin Kyun, Jeui Kyun, Sap Saam Sau, and Chi Sau Lung.
Also, a few family styles of Wing-Chun have an advanced combination form called Saam Baai Fat which includes many flow/leak techniques from all of the first 'standard' 7 forms. Old phonetics in Cantonese; Hung Sun Hay Ban Tong Red Boat Opera Organization/Troop has a branch in Girard, Ohio ran by Si-Fu Mark Lee Pringle. They are one of the few schools that teach the full 8-form curriculum including Yoo-Choy family-style of 'Saam Baai Fut' 3 Bows to Buddha.

Wooden Dummy

The Star Dummy consists of three poles that are embedded into the ground in a triangle with each pole an arms span apart. The associated form consists of kicking the poles using the various kicks found in Wing Chun: front kick, front kick with foot pointed out using broad area of foot and knee rotation to outside, and side kick.

Weapons

The Yuen Kay Shan / :es:Sum Nung|Sum Nung branch also historically trained throwing darts.

San Sik

San Sik are compact in structure. They can be loosely grouped into three broad categories:
1. Focus on building body structure through basic punching, standing, turning, and stepping drills.
2. Fundamental arm cycles and changes, firmly ingraining the cardinal tools for interception and adaptation.
3. Sensitivity training and combination techniques.

Sensitivity Training

Wing Chun includes several sensitivity drills designed to train and obtain specific responses. Although they can be practiced or expressed in a combat form, they should not be confused with actual sparring or fighting.

Chi Sau

Chi Sau is a term for the principle and drills used for the development of automatic reflexes upon contact and the idea of "sticking" to the opponent. In reality, the intention is not to "stick" to your opponent at all costs, but rather to protect your centerline while simultaneously attacking your opponent's centerline. In Wing Chun, this is practiced by two practitioners maintaining contact with each other's forearms while executing techniques, thereby training each other to sense changes in body mechanics, pressure, momentum and "feel". The increased sensitivity gained from this drill helps a practitioner attack and counter an opponent's movements precisely, quickly, and with appropriate techniques.
Chi Sau additionally refers to methods of rolling hands drills. Luk Sau participants push and "roll" their forearms against each other in a single circle while trying to remain in relaxed form. The aim is to feel force, test resistance, and find defensive gaps. Other branches have a version of this practice where each arm rolls in small, separate circles. Luk Sau is most notably taught within the Pan Nam branch of Wing Chun where both the larger rolling drills as well as the smaller, separate-hand circle drills are taught.
Some lineages, such as Ip Man and Jiu Wan, begin Chi Sau drills with one-armed sets called Daan Chi Sau which help the novice student to get the feel of the exercise. In Daan Chi Sau each practitioner uses one hand from the same side as they face each other.

Chi Geuk

Chi Geuk is the lower-body equivalent of the upper body's Chi Sau training, aimed on developing awareness in the lower body and obtaining relaxation of the legs.

In popular culture

played the role of Wing Chun Grandmaster Ip Man in the 2008 movie Ip Man, which was a box office success, and in its sequels Ip Man 2, Ip Man 3, and Ip Man 4. Max Zhang who played the role of Cheung Tin Chi in Ip Man 3 starred in a spin-off and direct sequel movie called , which follows the events after the end of Ip Man 3.
Stephen Amell on the CW show Arrow has incorporated Wing Chun into his fighting style; his character practices on a Muk Yan Jong.
When creating characters to represent real-world martial arts, the developers of the fighting game Tekken 7 wanted to introduce a new fighter utilizing Wing Chun. With the consultation and motion capture of techniques from a student of Ip Man's nephew, the character Leroy Smith, an elderly African-American Wing Chun practitioner, was added to the game as downloadable content in December 2019.

Notable practitioners